Free agency 2023

[Chromeburn]

Originally Posted by Dewey 5

Ballard might have to change is thinking a little bit. Steichen just left an organization with a GM that takes big swings & isn’t afraid to do so.

Ballard usually tries to do what the coach wants roster wise. Otherwise why hire him?

[Ironshaft]

$224.800m = 2023 NFL Salary Cap
$006.654m = 2022 Colts Cap Rollover
===========
$231.454m = 2023 Colts Cap

$216.321m = Top 51 2023 Colts Contracts
$004.181m = 2023 Dead Money
$001.500m = Spots 52 & 53 on in-season roster
$002.160m = Practice Squad 2023 salary
$003.000m = In-Season “Churn” space
===========
$227.162m = 2023 Colts Obligations

$004.292m = 2023 Colts Free Cap Space

The projected cap hit for the 2023 Colts rookie class, if we stay in the same draft spots, is expected to be just north of $10m assuming our draft picks beat out the lower tier contracts of our 2023 roster. This means that the Colts are “in the hole” by about $6m when all obligations are factored which will not happen until the actual start of the season.

Top Colts Cap Savings if Cut:

$019.750m = DeForest Buckner
$017.205m = Matt Ryan
$010.920m = Stephen Gilmore
$009.625m = Grover Stewart
$007.875m = Ryan Kelly
$007.671m = Kenny Moore
$004.303m = Jonathan Taylor

No one else delivers more than $3.0m cap relief if cut/traded so I will stop there.

The cutting of Matt Ryan is a no brainer and will allow the Colts to have about $11m for signing new or existing free agents.

DeForest Buckner could be a target for a contract restructure to lower his cap hit for the 2023 season.

Currently, the Colts have just over $100m projected available in 2024 and a staggering $275m projected in 2025. Sure, a lot of that will be eaten up by deals made this year and next but while I am not typically a fan of pushing money forward, for a talent like Buckner’s it probably makes sense.

The same could be said to a lesser extent for Stewart. He is in the last year of his current 4 year deal and could be extended with signing bonus taking up much of his salary this season to lower the cap.

My hope is that we find a veteran RG in free agency, draft a rookie OC in the 2nd or 3rd round and let Ryan Kelly walk. Of our veteran O-Linemen, I believe he has been the weakest link, has the least upside remaining and is the oldest.

Between those moves (cutting Ryan, restructuring DeFo, cutting Kelly and potentially restructuring Stewart), the Colts could conceivably free up an additional $25-35m in 2023 cap space depending on how aggressive the restructures are. Plenty of space to sign and re-sign whom they want.

Colts 2023 Unrestricted Free Agents of Note:

DE Yannick Ngakoue
LB Bobby Okereke
WR Parris Campbell

LB E.J. Speed
PK Chase McLaughlin
P Matt Haack
FS Rodney McLeod
DE Tyquan Lewis

I put a space between the top three and bottom five because I think the top three can demand starter level money (low level starter for Campbell but still more than Just Another Guy pay) and the bottom five cannot (or are in a low paid position like kicker/punter).

I think the big decision point is linebacker. Both Okereke and Franklin have shown that they can make the defense run well. Are they as good as Leonard? Nope. But are they nearly as good at a lower price tag? That is the big question. I think we have three linebackers whom have shown the ability to play at starter level ability….and receive starter level money….but only play two of them on most downs. Franklin comes up for contract next season.

I could see Leonard being traded as part of a trade package if the Colts want to trade up to #1 for the QB of their choice. Eberflus loves him and Chicago has a tradition of great LB play. I could see Leonard being dangled out there as trade bait for more picks. And…I could see the Colts allowing either Okereke or Franklin (next season) to sign somewhere else and retaining Leonard. But I will be surprised if the Colts end up paying all three of them.

Bottom line, the Colts have the freedom to pretty much re-sign and sign whom they want, within reason, for the 2023 season. They have tons of free cap space going forward and will be playing with a rookie QB for the next five seasons, hopefully. Ballard has freedom, let’s see what he does with it.

[rm1369]

Originally Posted by Chromeburn

Ballard usually tries to do what the coach wants roster wise. Otherwise why hire him?

That’s a pretty simplified explanation. You can’t get me to believe Reich WANTED what was done at WR, DE, or LT over the last few years. Yes the GM should prioritize the types of players the coaching staff prefers. But no coach wants the slow roll method of “wait until I can eventually draft a guy” that Ballard employs. That’s simply BS.

[YDFL Commish]

Somebody please explain to me how Matt Pryor started the first 9 games of the season between LT and RG?

Pryor was equally bad at both spots and did not get benched until Reich got fired and Saturday was hired. In Pryor's last game against NE, I believe that he single handedly gave up all 3 of the sacks by Judon, because he couldn't pick up the stunts to the inside.

I know many on here will point out how that is Ballard's fault. If so, then Reich was either just a puppet when it came to game day roster decisions or he was continuing with his mantra that even terrible players can play winning football.

At a minimum Reich had a choice to start Pryor, Raimann or Kelly at LT. He had a choice between Pinter, Pryor and Fries at RG.

So, did he or did he not make those choices?

[Butter]

Originally Posted by YDFL Commish

So, did he or did he not make those choices?

I have not heard anything that Ballard tells the HC who to play, so I am assuming it was Riech's call. If it wasn't I suspect Ballard would also be gone.

[rm1369]

It was most certainly Reich’s call who to start - out of the available options. The issue is the quality of the available options. The team was rotating Raimann in at LT from the very first game. Teams don’t rotate tackles. That tells me they knew the position was an issue and that Raimann wasn’t ready. And in fact his first start against Denver was a disaster. No matter what the team did early on the OL was going to be a fucking disaster. I’ve pointed out for awhile it is part of the reason the team always has slow starts. The coaching staff is required to juggle between bottom level vets and raw, unready rookies. Look at DE previously- not a single fucking player available to the coaching staff that had double digit sacks for their careers! Surprised pass rush was an issue that year? Now it seems like a no brainer that Raimann should have started day one even though he obviously wasn’t ready. And not surprisingly ever single thing I have seen suggests the team needs an upgrade at RG. Why would that be? Because the options last year sucked that’s why. That’s on Ballard.

[Chromeburn]

Originally Posted by rm1369

That’s a pretty simplified explanation. You can’t get me to believe Reich WANTED what was done at WR, DE, or LT over the last few years. Yes the GM should prioritize the types of players the coaching staff prefers. But no coach wants the slow roll method of “wait until I can eventually draft a guy” that Ballard employs. That’s simply BS.

Ok, what did Reich want to do that Ballard didn’t do?

[rm1369]

Originally Posted by Chromeburn

Ok, what did Reich want to do that Ballard didn’t do?

You know damn well the minute a coach says the team sucks because the GM hasn’t solved QB, or LT, or WR, or DE he’s fired. It’s interesting to discover Ballard has no philosophy of his own - the build completely through the draft mantra was all Reich right?

Ballard is fucking Teflon, now he works for the fucking coach, and makes no decisions. Unfucking real.

[ChaosTheory]

Originally Posted by rm1369

You know damn well the minute a coach says the team sucks because the GM hasn’t solved QB, or LT, or WR, or DE he’s fired. It’s interesting to discover Ballard has no philosophy of his own - the build completely through the draft mantra was all Reich right?

Ballard is fucking Teflon, now he works for the fucking coach, and makes no decisions. Unfucking real.

That wasn't his question.

[rm1369]

Originally Posted by ChaosTheory

That wasn't his question.

No his question is one that you know is impossible to answer. Coaches don’t complain about the moves GMs make. Period. And you both fucking know it. The insinuation is that the Reich wanted the bad options he was given at LT to start the season. A rookie who only played the position for two years in college and a journeyman guard. All I can say is if Reich WANTED the obvious holes left on the roster every year, then yes he deserved to be fired. But that means Ballard is nothing but a puppet and people need to quit giving him credit for the good on the roster, because that would also be all Reich. Right?

I’m curious WTF you guys think a GM does. If he just follows the coaches orders then why is the position so important?